“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 ESV).
While virtually everyone is familiar with the image of a throne, a throne is really nothing more than an elaborate piece of furniture. With this in mind, we can say that there are two things that distinguish a throne from a highly embellished chair…
- To whom it belongs.
- What it represents.
The throne referenced here in Hebrews 4:16 belongs to the all-powerful Creator of everything and represents His place of sovereign authority. Yet unlike many earthly kings, His throne is not one of ruthless control over His subjects. Instead, His throne is a throne of grace.
“Grace” involves God’s unmerited favor towards undeserving members of the human family. There are over one hundred instances of this word in the New Testament and it is often associated with God’s mercy, love, and compassion. Since grace involves God’s unmerited favor, we cannot earn it by doing good things or adhering to a set of standards.
Thus, grace represents God’s favor towards us without regard to our talents, skills, capabilities, possessions, and/or social standing- and it is freely available to those who come to Him through Christ. Those who do so, enjoy peace with God and free access to Him in prayer, especially in our times of need. This leads us to a familiar and encouraging portion of Scripture…
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Thus. the assurance of God’s grace allows us to approach His throne with confidence, secure in the knowledge that He will graciously accept us in Christ and offer “…mercy for our failures and grace to help in the hour of need” (Phillips).
This brings us to the end of our look at Hebrews chapter four and allows us to close with the encouraging message offered by the following author…
“As believers, we must also make sure that we continue to take advantage of our access. The writer to the Hebrews tells us to ‘come boldly unto the throne of grace’ (Heb. 4:16, KJV), because God knows we doubt, get discouraged, and are often fainthearted. Be bold. Go to Him in prayer. You have not because you ask not. Ask, seek, and knock (Matt. 7:7–11).” (1)
Image Credit: Mr Nigel, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
(1) Daniel R. Hyde, God in Our Midst: The Tabernacle and Our Relationship with God Reformation Trust Publishing [pg. 121]